As we reach the half way point of 2026 (I know, I know, it’s crazy! 6 months have gone by!), I think it’s proper to look back on the year and reflect on it. Anybody should. It’s good to stretch those legs as you stroll down memory lane. And as the designated theatre guy on this site, it would be good to talk about my experience with the local theatre scene here in St. Louis, where I live.

Yes, I could talk about this upcoming season on Broadway and what I look forward to, but that’s pretty hard to do from the Midwest. It’s not like I can easily travel from one state to the next to see all these new shows and also have the means to pay for it all. No. So I’m going to go a different route. I was thinking about ranking the shows and all I’ve seen, but since I’m an artist in that area and people actually know me, I do believe that would be a stupid mistake to make. I have biases, as do everyone and also, I’ve had issues in the past because I can be overly critical of everything I see. People respect my opinions and when I get harsh about things, I get harsh. People have apparently cried over my critical analysis’s (I know. Shocking!). But that’s far in the past and I’m going to be smart about this. I won’t name names unless it’s a positive thing and if you want to know what I’m talking about, contact me and I will specify. But for now, I’m going to go through every show. In order of: when I saw them, their runs, who directed the shows, a short synopsis (in my own words; OH BOY!), and then eventually my thoughts in quick blurbs If I have critiques, it will be about the things the cast and crew cannot control: the books of musicals or the scripts. So sit back, grab a snack or drink (or both) and read along as I talk about my theatre journey in 2026!

Meet John Doe: A Radio Show

Adapted by Katelyn Ericson

Company: Lend Me Your Ear Productions

Run: February 7th

Director: Eliana Steele

Synopsis: After The New Bulletin dismisses Ann Mitchell (Julianna Taylor) to write one final column before she’s fired, she publishes a letter written by a fictional “John Doe” threatening to commit suicide as an act of protest against society. Readers sympathize with Mr. Doe’s plight and want more of him. Ann Mitchell finds John Willoughby (Robert Poetz), an unwilling participant who fits the part of the everyman. As his “story” become an even bigger sensation throughout the nation, John begins to question if any of this is right.

Unbeknownst to me before that night, this was a tradition. It seems like every few years or so, Lend Me Your Ear does this show again and again, not only because it is such a big success, but because a radio show is easy to do. Not much memorization and the blocking isn’t complicated. However, after that night, I can see why it has been a success. The script could use some tuning, sure, but it is enjoyable from beginning to end. The comedy sticks the landing thanks to the endlessly enjoyable cast and Eliana Steele’s always proficient direction, but also its rich Christian themes that stick with you after the cast has taken a bow. It’s the radio show’s final scene that was seemingly memorized compared to the rest of the show as the cast stayed close to their scripts that leaves an imprint and drives the emotions home. In any other company’s hands, this script would be not have the earnestness of community theatre coming together nor taken as seriously because a secular cast and crew would not believe it. This cast does and the show is all the better for it.

Pride & Prejudice

Adapted by Kate Hamill

Company: Kirkwood Theatre Guild

Run: March 13th-22nd

Director: Brittany Kohl

Synopsis: It’s Pride & Prejudice. The Bennett Sisters need suitors. As the story clips along, each of the sister gets one. Lizzy (Livy Potthoff) and Mr. Darcy (Kyle Reeves) clash and it seems they do not like each other, but soon enough, turns out they do! Classic Jane Austen.

With an adaptation of Jane Austen, you know what you’re in for. This is an all too familiar story and with every adaptation, you’re going to need to spice it up. This one certainly does. In its set designs, costumes, casting and even advertising, it touts itself as a “modern adaptation” but thankfully, never puts our characters in a modern setting. It maintains all the familiar beats of the story, the setting is still the English countryside and the characters wear the puffy dresses and do up their hair to let us at least live in this old fashioned world. At first that is. Then the rest of the play reveals itself like when we peak at the shoes our female characters wear as they rear their soles from under their skirts. No more squeaky clean dress shoes or uncomfortable heels, everyone wears converse and everyone gets a chance to play with gender or age, except for our two leads (Pothoff as Lizzy and Reeves as Darcy). Not only does this cleverly show off the modernity of the play, allowing the audience breathe without having endure another stuffy adaptation of material that doesn’t deserve it because the material itself is already playful. It’s hilarious from beginning to end, dare I say, a raucous good time. However, that is also its only flaw: it’s too funny. “How can a show be too funny?” You think to yourself. Well, I think with all of the brilliant comedic moments, the exposition gets lost and of course, everyone knows this material. But what if somebody doesn’t know? Does that critical information get lost in favor of assumption? I can assume that was the price Kohl was willing to pay for all of the other elements to wonderfully pay off (except for one critical piece of casting. I won’t say who I was not fond of despite everyone else in the cast understanding all elements of their character(s).).

The Man of La Macha

Book by Dale Wasserman, Music by Mitch Leigh & Lyrics by Albert Marre

Company: Clayton Community Theatre

Run: April 23rd-May 3rd

Director: Sam Hack

Music Director: Gene Rauscher

Synopsis: Cervantes (Jeff Kargus) and his Manservant (Jeff Struckhoff) are thrown in prison for criticizing the Church (taxing it), they are forced to defend themselves by telling the story of Don Quixote (also played by Cervantes/Jeff Kargus) they’ve been traveling the country with. It is an adventure like no other of a delusional old man who believes he is a knight and his best friend who find love, great peril and good in others they cannot find themselves.

In an increasingly cynical world and one that fills me with dread as I grow older, one would think that a golden age show such as this would be a cute show with lovely music that you enjoy while you’re there in the theatre and then forget about. Maybe hum the tunes a little later after its done and remember nothing else (if you can’t tell, I don’t gel with golden age stuff). Man of La Mancha is not that. It, in fact, acts as the antidote to my worries. As the times grow darker, the story of Don Quixote does as well, but through the show’s endearing idealism of believing the underlying good in everyone, of what everyone could be despite what society tells them, the musical’s book breaks through and creates something genuinely beautiful. While the music is gorgeous, the book is more than up to the task and delivers an equally lovely play under it. The ensemble cast was wonderful, maybe making a couple mistakes in the choreo here and there, but not enough to ruin the illusion. And while its clear some are not great singers (when it’s abundantly clear some struggle), it doesn’t matter because they act their hardest through it and it pays off. Jeff Kargus is astounding; magnetic, charismatic and dives deep to deliver the emotional weight this show deserves. My personal favorite for leading male performance of the year so far. Heather Matthews (Aldonza) is also a name that elevates every show she’s in and she does here to do as her troubled character. Despite an ensemble that doesn’t sing all together well, it’s a musical that has stood above the other shows I’ve seen this year and thanks to both Kargus and Matthews, I was able to see a glimpse of a show that won’t be topped.

La Cage Aux Folles

Musical Adaption/Book by Harvey Fierstein, Music & Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Company: Take Two Productions

Run: April 17th-25th

Director: Joseph DiMercurio

Music Director: Brandon Sankpill

Synopsis: Georges (Paul Fortner) comfortably lives his life as a drag nightclub owner in France until his son, Jean-Michel (David Hall), comes home to announce his engagement to his *gasp* heterosexual partner, Anne (Nadja Kapetanovich). When Jean-Michel reveals that Anne’s parents are the ultra-conservative Dindons, (her father a powerful politician, mind you), Georges must hide everything for one day: himself, this nightclub and even the love of his life, Albin a.k.a ZaZa (Michael McKinley) so his son can have the best day of his life.

Let me start out by saying a show like this is not something that I am particularly drawn to. But that being said, the show is entertaining. I had fun. From the moment the show begins, it’s unafraid to be what it is: a gay palooza of colors, lights and dazzling scenery. The costumes are the best of the year so far with the way the ensemble drape themselves in wild costumes from scene to scene, adding bits of fun ad-libs and laying on comedic beats here and there with the enrapturing musical score from one of Broadway’s legends in Jerry Herman. But then we get to the rest of the show: a relatively safe, liberal idea of what this story should be. No real consequences or stakes because you know how this story will turn out and that’s completely the book’s fault for us never getting to see this ultra-conservative politician until halfway through the second act and even before then, he’s mentioned in passing and none of the characters really feel the stakes the weight of him arriving until he’s there. And then when he’s there, all of it is resolved way too easily by sets of coincidental circumstances. The guy just gives up. There’s not much conflict and it doesn’t help when the leads are not strong enough to make this new rift between them land emotionally or get me to care. In fact, the show feels like professionally-done, high school musical theatre, but despite that, it matches the charm that comes with watching a good high school show. Again, there’s a lot to like about the show: the ensemble and everything on the technical side, but there’s also quite a bit to be desired in terms of some of the cast and the book itself.

Hadestown: Teen Edition

By Anais Mitchell

Company: HHS Drama Department

Run: April 23rd-April 26th

Director: Leigh Kalista

Music Director: Tim Arnold

Synopsis: Adapted from the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown follows the young lovers from when they meet to when Eurydice (Kayla Tubbs) is bitten by a rattlesnake and dies. The living world is ravaged by hunger, so to make a deal with Hades (Luke Font), she agrees to work in Hadestown. Orpheus (Ryan Russell) dead set on bringing his love back to the living, travels to Hadestown to rescue her and maybe change everything by singing the song he’s been working on.

A high school show? Balk all you want, but I’ve never seen any version of the show, even when I was in New York (twice, mind you) or when the Broadway tour visited STL at the Fox. I do think this was the perfect time because despite it still being, you know, a high school show, it feels perfect to encounter this tragedy of young love in a high school setting. Also with the fact that this story is circular, there’s an additional layer of tragedy implied in the lyrics in the second to last musical number as the story comes to an end in “Road to Hell (Reprise)” in which Hermes (Smith-Hynes) sings: “It’s a sad song… it’s a tragedy. But we sing it anyway ’cause here’s the thing: to know how it ends and still begin to sing as if it might turn out this time… We’re gonna sing it again and again…” Which means that despite this story coming to an end, they’ll sing it again and again, hoping not only for a different conclusion but also they’ll literally age with story. Growing up maybe to even when they’re elderly or beyond, hoping for a different change to this story. But with this production itself, it might be the best thing my high school has ever done. As an alumni, I may have a bias towards something I’ve been a part of, but it certainly feels like a step above in terms of the set, which is the best they’ve every done it with all of its moving parts and two level platforms. The lighting design isolates and evokes every feeling desired and the costumes surprise. Even though, the acting reminds you that this is a singing-first cast and even then, they struggle with the difficult harmonies this show has, their hard work does not go unnoticed with the show’s final moments landing that gut-punch and ending on a bittersweet note. From everyone involved, including the live orchestra, makes this Mrs. K and Ms. Wills’ finest hour as directors.

Romeo & Juliet

By William Shakespeare

Company: Lend Me Your Ear Productions

Run: April 9th-19th

Director: Eric Satterfield

Synopsis: A tragedy of two young lovers in Romeo (Zach Pierson) and Juliet (Tia Rene Williams) between two feuding houses of the Montagues and Capulets. As their love deepens, the feud between the two houses reach a boiling point leading to deadly consequences.

Romeo & Juliet is a play that I’ve always preferred the adaptations over the real material because I think the titular characters are dumb, but that stems from the fact I was cynical about characters falling in love at first sight and the Disney-fication of two characters falling in love after 3 days. I never realized the tragedy of young, innocent love being crushed by the weight of needless violence and thankfully, Eric Satterfield’s production brings that to the forefront. Like what’s intended, Satterfield allows the steaminess of the two lovers flourish while the pressure from their parents closes in on them. Both Pierson and Williams stand out from the pack where their chemistry draws us in and their respective solo performances are just as good. The ensemble, however, was inconsistent in their understanding of The Bard’s text. Some recited his words with flying colors while others floundered, struggling to deliver the emotions required. The costumes were also inconsistent as well. While it was cool to see the contemporary clothing, some did look ill-fitted or didn’t fit. And the fight choreo? Laughably bad. It looks like the actors did it themselves and when the actors have limited experience in that area, it shows (I choreographed a fight with an actor for a show recently and it was also pretty bad, so I would know). Because of these things, it became harder to invest in the show that could’ve been more.

One Man, Two Guv’nors

Adapted by Richard Bean (from The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni)

Company: Act Two Theatre

Run: May 21-24, 28-31

Director: Chandler Spradling

Synopsis: Francis Henshall (John Emery) is hungry and desperate need of more money, Henshall comes up with a crazy scheme to serve two guvnors, Stanley Stubbers (Nathan Hakenwerth) and Robert Crabbe (Rachel Crabbe played by Jaime Chipman) at the same time while he tries to find love and digs himself deeper into a web of lies.

That synopsis sounds a bit dramatic, but I promise you this is a hilarious show. Knowing Chandler, his work diving deep into the script and bringing the heightened British comedic style to life doesn’t always work for the audience I saw it with, which is a shame to one of the few people laughing at the jokes that are delivered well. Chandler, himself, steps in as the frontman for the transitions and opening song to energize the audience and then from then on, the cast says game on. The cast (for the most part) understands what this show deserves, delivering many laugh out loud moments that should make this show the funniest of the year with its strong mix of slapstick humor and audience interactivity to create an unforgettable experience. But there are things that really hampered my experience. In fact, they’re the reasons I wanted to write this article. It’s a few actors who are either miscast or make some of the most baffling choices I’ve seen this year. In fact, one performance is so bad, it feels like it is scratching and clawing to bring everyone around them to their level. But thankfully, the cast is so good and that can especially be seen in John Emery’s effortless work as Francis. But also in Jaime and Nathan’s work, completely committing to their performances, at one point literally throwing themselves at each other to much comedic effect. What should be a riot, is something less than that, but is still a very good time at the theatre.

SAW: The Unauthorized Musical Parody

Book by Zoe Ann Jordan, Music & Lyrics by Anthony De Angelis & Patrick Spencer 

Company: SAW The Musical Parody LLC

Run: May 22nd – June 21st (NY National Tour)

Director: Stephanie Rosenberg

Music Director: Leigh Pomeranz

Synopsis: Adapted as a parody musical from the classic horror film of the same name, Dr.  Gordon (Julian Macdonald) and Adam (Logan Reed) find themselves trapped inside one of Jigsaw’s (Jill Linton) traps and as they learn more about the other, some hidden feelings develop.

Now I can finally talk about a show that isn’t a local theatre company! It’s a National Tour, which is cool! I feel like since Starkid has popularized the musical theatre parody, it has opened the door for other companies to try their hand at parodying IP’s that they love and turning SAW into a musical is something I don’t anyone saw coming. But after seeing the production, I still don’t think it works besides turning up the campiness the original film had and lovingly poking fun at the original film’s sometimes nonsensical reasons to get our characters in the situations they get themselves in (or in Jigsaw’s case, get out of). But I think the point was to crank up the homoeroticism that is interpreted in the original source material and played up by fans of the franchise and make it something that was meant to entertain them. Loads of references, fourth wall breaks and gay jokes to entertain the fans, but the writers cleverly switch out the fatal traps from the film for a more narrative-driven (characters will literally narrate what happened to other people and sometimes, thankfully, other characters make fun of it) plot while switching from the gore-fest that is the series into a musical jam-packed with gross-out jokes, both sexually charged and toilet humor. But that’s where my enjoyment ends because this show was not for me. The humor feels like its gross-out for gross-out sake and that becomes tiring by the time we get to the iconic scene of Gordon sawing off his own leg (with included splash zone). Many jokes did not land because it was either a reference, some gross-out joke or something genuinely unfunny. It added new material that only existed to be a punchline and we don’t get to learn about these characters other than the fact that they were gay all along. It’s a huge success, sure, but I’m going to sound like a broken record and say: it was not for me.

12 Angry Jurors

By Reginald Rose & Sherman Sergel

Company: Monroe Actors Stage Company

Run: May 29-31, June 5-7

Director: Emma Vinson

Synopsis: 12 Jurors sit in a room to decide whether a young man truly killed his father or not and based on the evidence, it looks like the boy did it. However, one juror (Maria Wilen) stands apart and wants to give the boy a fair shake. What ensues asks us all about what is true justice and the role our own biases play.

If anybody knows me, they know that 12 Angry Men is my favorite film of all time. Sidney Lumet’s masterpiece and directorial debut is a masterwork of blocking and working together as an ensemble to come together and make art. One could say that Henry Fonda’s Juror 8 is the lead, but the story is very much focused on all these 12 men and how their brains works when confronted with our justice system. It will always be relevant and every big moment is still effective, even after every rewatch. So a play adaptation makes complete sense and should be a slam dunk, however with adaptation there are always changes and it seems to me that the changes are cutting an already tight script and somehow loosening it up. While the blocking is the best I’ve seen all year, the addition of not one, but two intermissions is the most baffling directorial choice I’ve seen all year. I don’t care if there are three acts, screw the intermissions and keep this play going! The reason the film works because you are stuck with these men in this room, so you feel trapped with them. The pressure to come to a decision mounts as time goes on. There are stakes! With even one intermission, you cut all the tension out from under the play and then it’s a fight to crank the tension up again which this plays loses. Both times. And with the material cut, it loses the depth of a number of characters and instead focuses on just 3 (Alderson) and 8 (Wilken), which is a fine decision, but makes me miss every thing else. And the cast? I don’t think Vinson reined the ensemble in. It felt like they all wanted to be the main character of this play, arrogantly hogging the spotlight because they want to get that AFL trophy instead of working as an ensemble. Hardly any of them found the right moments to shine, instead guessing and shouting that they deserve to be on this stage instead of earning it with the rest of the cast. However, Wilken’s Juror 8 handles her role with panache, carefully bringing both comedy and the dramatic to the role, balancing them both out well. And then you have Burke certainly being the funniest foreman I’ve ever seen and Hawes bringing the endearing mousiness of Juror 2 while also bringing out as much comedic potential she can offer. Zach Robinson (Guard) has always been highlight in everything I’ve seen him at MASC, so shoutout to him as well. While expertly blocked and the costumes are fun to look at, the ensemble struggles and the material also does them no favors which led me to be pretty frustrated (once again, looking at you, Jekyll & Hyde) with another MASC production.

We Will Rock You

Music and Lyrics by Queen, Story and Script by Ben Elton

Company: New Line Theatre

Run: June 4-27

Director(s): Chris Moore and Scott Miller

Music Director: Brayden Bessette

Synopsis: In the far dystopian future, where the music is now banned and the world has been taken over by a totalitarian government in the form of the Globalsoft Corporation, the world is dependent on their products and technology. But two dreamers, Galileo Figaro (Braidy Kirkegaard) and Scaramouche (Chelsie Johnston), cannot fight the need to rebel against their technological overlords. After finding a group of music-legend-named rebels, they set out to show the world the power of rock’n’roll and in their hearts they know, the world can be set free.

What a bunch of contrived nonsense! Everyone involved (excluding the book writers) do a herculean effort to make this entertaining to watch, but man, that book is just dreadful. The book is everything I despise in a jukebox musical: the plot is contrived and clearly and badly written around the songs, it is laced with forced pop culture references and humor that made me cringe, moments that want to make you to point at the stage like soyjacks when they reference something and the songs aren’t put in right! Characters literally burst into song when there’s no rhyme or reason. The emotions these characters are feeling in that moment don’t justify the next song coming out. At one point in the second act, one of the villains start rattling off Queen songs and I’m like “HOLD ON! Jeez Louise!” They even choose the wrong songs to put or put the songs in the wrong time. Why use “Seven Seas of Rye” and not “The Show Must Go On!” when those characters could’ve used a song like that, given what they go through? I don’t mind deeper cuts, but come on! Easy layup there! But I do want to say I liked the costumes and the set has a bit of creativity involved and the live band playing behind rocks. The lighting design is really good too. I also really like this cast too. They give it the energy the show needs to be entertaining in some semblance of the word. BUT GOOD GOLLY, does that book SSSSUUUUCCCKKK!

Steel Magnolias

By Robert Harling

Company: Bread and Wine Theatre Company

Run: June 26th-28th

Director: Haley Clegg

Synopsis: Set over three years in Truvy’s (Melody Valen Quinn) beauty parlor, 6 six women bond over their struggles which include their love lives, the playful banter with each other, the frustrations that come with living in a small town or simply, where their life is heading.

Sorry to say that I am not familiar with any version of this heavily produced show (mainly because in the theatre industry, acting is predominantly female) even not having seen the beloved film adaptation starring the likes of Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine. Based on who was is in the cast (Melody, Tia and Lisa), I knew that it was going to at least well acted, if not just pretty funny (thank you Melody for being the talented comedic actor you are) and knowing Haley personally, I knew she was going to her own style of humor and she’s shown promise in the past, but I was unsure about how she would handle a full length play, much less something that was nearly 2 and half hours (including intermission). So I really was going in blind and my experience was all the better for it. While not exciting in terms of anything plot-wise, it’s as close you can get to a hangout play, but the joy of watching the play comes from these characters and their relationships with each other. The hilarious banter they share and watching their friendship develop over these three years is truly delightful. Clegg has curated a cast of comedic marksmans, each actor sniping the right moment to deliver a banger of a line. Watching a play is communal event, but laughing in unison with everyone has never felt better. Melody as Truvy evokes her inner Dolly Parton as she rocks her poofy blonde wig and effortlessly land joke after joke, Williams (Annelle) delivers her work in the show silently reacting and letting her facial expression speak for her and Garrett (Shelby) does her fair share of delivering jokes while bringing in even more levity as the most youthful character of the ensemble. Laura Lee Kyro (Clairee) unexpectedly delivers the most humorous barbs even when the play’s at its most heavy and Ann Egenriether (Ousier) gives her crotchety character more layers and had usually barged in with the loudest laughs of the night. But Lisa Karpowicz (M’Lynn) is the most reserved of the cast, delivering jokes here and there until the final scene of the play where she leaves the audience in a puddle of tears with her emotionally charged monologue. Haley Clegg has mastered tone with this play where balancing both her dry sense of humor and boisterous style to something truly tender and heartbreaking by the end. With a simple set, fun costumes, the best ensemble cast of the year and an astonishing debut by a new director and its only issues were actors sometimes stumbling over their lines or transitions for costume changes taking longer than expected? You have a best of play of the year contender on your hands. A big win for everyone involved.

The Producers

Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks

Company: Jefferson College Theatre Department

Run: June 19th-21st, 26th-28th

Director: Rebecca Ellison

Synopsis: Leo Bloom (Brandon Menke) has dreams of becoming a Broadway producer and Max Bialystock (Chris Owens) is a once-successful-now-failed Broadway producer in desperate need of a new hit. Together, the pair come up with a scheme to make more money than they ever could with a hit: create an expensive musical to flop so badly that only the producers reap the profits. They will go to great lengths to create the worst musical to ever hit a Broadway stage by finding the worst play to adapt, the worst director in town and the worst cast ever!

JeffCo, to me, has solidified itself as a hidden gem of community theatre and the opening number reminded me of why I believed that. Every cast member I talked to after the show kept repeating about how much they enjoyed being a part of this show and it’s seen in that song. Everyone is having a ball. The number is energetic and fun and then the show maintains the level of fun throughout. What do you expect when you get to be in something written by Mel Brooks? The acting is what you get when you see a community theatre along with the singing when it comes to certain actors getting solos, but there are still highlights within the cast. Michael Booker, Amanda Boyer, Rebecca Ellison and Lucas Inman do some really great ensemble work, bringing the show up to their level, Mateo Bluemel is hilarious as the incredibly gay director Roger De Bris, Desiree Terry shines as the ditzy Ulla and Brandon Menke really grows into the sometimes manic, but fanciful Leo Bloom as the show moves along. The ensemble is the star of this show and it’s still really funny. “Along Came Bialy” into the Reprise is a show-stopper with all of the women in the ensemble dressed as old ladies dancing with their walkers in unison. It was the perfect show to be the last on what to watch for this point in the year.

And there you have it. All of the shows I’ve seen in 2026 so far with all of their ups and downs. I’m actually kind of glad I didn’t do a ranking because it would be weird to rank college and high school shows among productions that are professionally done with paid actors and such. But with so much more theatre going on in the STL area among possibly going to other places this year, stay tuned for how the rest of my 2026 will turn out.